Sweden’s Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that it will allow Ukrainian Air Force pilots to train with Sweden’s ‘JAS 39 Gripen’ fighters, following in the footsteps of other European powers linked to Kiev.
According to the Swedish authorities, the training program for Ukrainian pilots includes military personnel who have previously been trained to fly combat aircraft.
Ukrainian pilots will use flight simulators and be able to test fighter jets.
“This is orientation training,” said Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson, who traveled to Ukraine this Thursday with his Civil Defense colleague, Karl Oskar Bohlin.
Stockholm agreed to Kiev’s request that the Allies train Ukrainian pilots to fly Western fighters, but appeared to view the decision as far from peaceful, as it does not appear to be in favor of supplying fighters to Ukraine.
“The planes that Sweden has are needed for our own national defense. At the moment it is not appropriate to loan planes to Ukraine,” Jonson told Sweden’s national broadcaster SVT.
The two Swedish ministers traveled to Kiev this Thursday, where they met with local authorities, as they also planned to visit Ukrainian army troops already using the weapons supplied by Stockholm.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he and Jonson had analyzed “priority” issues for Kiev, such as fighter jet supplies, the situation on the battle front, the need for weapons and a formula for peace and peace. security.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
The exact number of civilian and military casualties is unknown, but several sources, including the UN, have warned it will be high.
Source: DN
